Assignment 3

Submission deadline: midnight, 5 November.

In a paper of roughly 750 words, respond to one of the following topics.

Discuss Thomas Hardy's use of irony in the poems we have read. You may focus on one poem or you may draw upon all three.
Discuss the carpe diem motif as it is found in the poems we have read (e.g., "The Flea," "To His Coy Mistress," and "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time").
Examine the importance of setting in one of the poems we have read.
Write a character analysis based upon your reading of either "My Last Duchess," "Ulysses," "Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister," or "Mr. Flood's Party." What is the relationship between our understanding of character and our understanding of the poem's meaning?
Select any of the poems we have read and write an analysis using whatever approach seems appropriate.

Remember that whatever choice you make, the response should center upon your ideas about the subject--with reference to the text or texts used solely for supporting the various points you will be making.

Those of you who had problems with adequate, specific support on the last assignment will want to be certain that you do, indeed, draw upon the text for this one, using well-chosen supporting quotations. Don't forget to use the proper quotation/citation mechanics. Also, pay special attention to the framing of a focused thesis statement which points specifically to the direction your development will take. Without one, your reader is inadequately prepared for your presentation.

You will be required to do some research on this project, but keep your focus upon the introductory remarks above. In addition to your text, you should have a minimum of three sources, excluding dictionaries and general reference encyclopedias.

As usual, you are to follow MLA guidelines for parenthetical documentation, and you are to provide a "Works Cited" entry for quoted material. (Consult the FAQ; study the sample essay; and review the MLA Quick Guide.)

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